Because You Went Away
by girlgenius
Summary: After being away from Asguard for two and a half years, Loki comes back. In that time, the youngest prince grew up, learning to fight, use his magic, and even took a lover. However, little does he know that destiny will bring them together once more.


Here's story number two. Thank you for all of those who reviewed the last story! It really means a lot to me, you all are wonderful. Here is something a bit different. It's going to be a bit longer and it's going to be a Sigyn/Loki fic. Scandal ensues eventually. Let me know if you like it.

"Your brother comes home today Thor. " started Sif. "Are you excited to see him?"

"I have been waiting his return since the moment he left." He chuckled, "I miss my baby brother dearly."

He tore into the boar's leg he had began eating several moments earlier, before Sif interrupted him. In a few short hours, they, along with Fandral, Hogun, and Volstag, were to meet Loki at the edge of the Bifrost. The youngest Prince had left for training in Alfheim. He had been gone for nearly two and a half cycles of Asguard around its sun. What would he look like now, Thor wondered. Would he still be small and thin? He always reminded him a well-dressed street child in the poorer parts of Asguard. He put thoughts of not recognizing his brother to the back of his mind.

Moments dragged on until dusk came and the teens rode out to Heimdal's observatory to meet Loki. The golden sphere had already begun to spin so fast it looked like it was still, except for the electricity that washed over its outside. After a few minutes, a tall, thin young man with long wavy black hair stepped out of the sphere. He wore a dark green shirt with too short sleeve and loose black pants that were torn and also too short. He shifted a small bag on his shoulders as he stood staring with wide blue-green eyes at the group.

"Brother!" Thor yelled before dismounting his horse to run to his not so baby brother. "Look how you've grown."

He had grown several inches, nearly eclipsing Thor's height, but not weight. Thor's hug nearly broke him in half, squeezing all the air from his lungs. Thor grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him to his brown mare.

"Mother and Father are waiting at the palace for you. Come."

They rode quickly to the palace, where Odin and Frigga stood outside waiting for their boys. It was a wonderful homecoming. Frigga cried, she missed her little boy, who had in his time away grown to be a handsome young man. They asked about all he learned, if he was treated well, where his shoes had gone.

"They stopped fitting." Loki's voice had deepened, moving away from the awkward nasally squeak of adolescence. "I grew a bit while I was away."

"We'll have to get you some new clothes tomorrow then." His mother said, "Nothing in your closest will fit you it seems."

"Thank you Mother." He smiled down at his plate. He hadn't eaten much of his dinner. Frigga noticed.

"Are you tired my son?" she asked, concerned at his lack of appetite. "I can see it in your eyes. We'll finish this conversation tomorrow."

She touched his hand as he excused himself from dinner. She noticed his dirty, broken fingernails as he pushed the chair away from the table with a loud screech across the marble floor. It looked like he had not had a good bath in many days. His clothes were dirty as well, like he had been living deep in the forest for days at a time. It was possible; she thought to herself, the people of Alfheim did not have a major capital like the Asguardians did. They had tribal leaders, many of which they were friendly with, but most lived in the woodlands in small thatched huts. They spent much of their time outside, evident by her youngest son's freckled nose and slightly reddened hair.

"Sleep well my boy." called Odin, briefly breaking conversation with Thor to wish Loki good night.

"Goodnight everyone." He said back quietly as he padded off to his room.

It was strange, walking though the palace after so long. He looked down at his bare feet; they seemed strange and misplaced against the clean sand colored marble of the hallway. As servants passed him, they did not recognize him. In fact hey gave him strangely disapproving looks that he did not understand until he passed a large mirror. It was no wonder they did not recognize him, he barely recognized himself. The weeks foraging and hunting in the forests had made him extremely thin, more so than when he had left even though he had grown at least ten inches taller. His black hair that he kept slicked back had turned an odd strange of red-black from being in the sun all day and was wild as it reached between his shoulder blades. Freckles he had not seen since childhood had crept out all over his face and chest. And to top it all off, he was filthy. He looked like a homeless boy creeping though the palace probably searching for food. He quickly hurried to his room after seeing himself, knowing that he needed a bath very badly.

Upon opening the door, he immediately heard snarling. It was Fenrir, his dog. He had found him a cycle prior to his leaving in the woods behind the palace when he was just a pup. He was a good boy, ever loyal, guarding his room from any intruders. Intruders being Thor, who was terrified of the half wolf pup that followed Loki around the grounds.

"You don't remember me boy?" he knelt down, opening his arms so the dog could come.

He flicked the lights on and the large grey dog came bounding toward him, nearly knocking him over in the process.

"Have you been a good boy for Mother?" he took the dogs large head between his hands to scratch behind his ears and look him in the eye. "Of course you were, your always good."

Loki stood up and wandered to his dresser, looking for clothes that could possibly fit. All he could find was some underwear, which would do for now. He could call for Thor and borrow something of his to go to market in the morning. He pulled a pair of dark green shorts from the drawer before discarding the tattered shreds of cloth he was wearing on the floor, creating a trail to the bathroom. He turned on the hot water and grabbed soap from under the sink before stepping into the stream of uncomfortably hot water. He was used to bathing in cold streams rather than the heated water of the palace. He turned the temperature down and ducked his head under the stream. He stared down at the floor and watched the dirt and grime turn the water brown around his feet. He washed quickly, the bed called to him. As much as he enjoyed his time in Alfheim, he did not like sleeping on hay bales and piles of leaves.

Once he was done, he wrapped a towel around his narrow hips before going to his bedroom and collapsing on his bed. It was so soft and perfect. Loki yawned deeply into the pillow, rolling onto his stomach. His feet hung off the edge of the bed. Loki was considering falling asleep just that way until he heard a quiet knock on the door. He ignored it, hoping it was not important and it would just go away. The knocking just got louder until his brother just barged in, making Fenrir growl at him. Loki smiled into the cool pillow.

"Stop it Fenrir." Loki mumbled into the pillow.

"This is a good look for you brother." Laughed Thor. "Face down, arse up."

"I do not have the motivation or strength to dress. Nor do I really have any clothes that fit." He rolled onto his back.

"Ah," Thor started. "That is why mother sent me with these." Thor held up a plain black pair of trousers and dark blue shirt. They would be bit large but it would work until they went into town.

'Thank you."

"Now in exchange for my old clothes, you must tell me of your time away." Thor leaned in close. "Especially the parts you will not tell Mother and Father."

"It can wait until tomorrow Thor." Whined Loki. "I am much too tired and only want to read a book."

"Did you meet any nice ladies?" Thor began to question anyway, making Loki roll his eyes. "Did you bed any ladies? I heard Elvish girls are quite wonderful."

"That is none of your business brother, even if you do insist on telling me about every maiden you take to your rooms."

"Elvish boys perhaps then?"

Loki gave him a lopsided look. "Really? I won't tell you about who I've slept with, if anyone, and you assume I prefer men? I'm sure Sif hasn't been with a man yet, do you assume she prefer women?"

"Part of that would not surprise me." Said Thor quietly.

Loki could only roll his eyes at his brother, Thor was just as nosy as before he had left. Maybe he had bedded a wonderfully smart black haired girl in Alfheim, even considered her his "girlfriend." But nothing would have come of it, not only was she betrothed but she was of a different realm. He smiled at the thought of her. Thor noticed his brothers little smirk and pulled off his boots, making himself comfortable on the bed next to his brother.

"Was she beautiful?" he asked quietly.

"Very."

"What did she look like?"

"Long black hair, big hazel eyes, tanned skin, very small and thin. She wasn't like the girls here and she wasn't an elf. Her name was Sigyn. We spent most nights together."

"She's a princess brother." Thor turned to Loki, slightly surprised. "She was a strange face in my opinion, but she seems to by your type."

"I found her to be very unique looking. She has very sharp features that aren't typical of a girl."

"Did you love her?" asked Thor.

"I still do." Loki signed and put an arm over his face. "You don't stop loving someone just because you leave them. The feeling doesn't go away over night, or else it really isn't love."

"I'm sorry brother." Thor put a large hand on his brother's shoulder.

"There is nothing to be sorry for." Loki smiled. "It's part of growing up I guess."

"Well, I'll leave you to get some rest now little brother. Sleep well and dream of your princess."


End file.
